Insect hotel
An insect hotel or insect house , more rarely an insect asylum , insect wall or insect box (often referred to as beneficial insect hotel in Austria ), is an artificially created nesting and wintering aid for insects , which has been increasingly popular since the 1990s, especially among natural gardeners and in school biology . As insect protection measures that can be implemented by practically anyone with little effort, the facilities have been made known in particular by numerous European nature conservation associations , and they also play an important role in permaculture . The first wild bee boxes were built by private individuals in England as early as 1840. At that time these were used for observation purposes, but can be regarded as forerunners of the insect hotels suitable for several insect groups.
There are insect hotels in different sizes and with different facilities. Mostly they are aimed at - from the gardener's point of view - useful insects. The variety of shapes includes both small creative individual structures and large, mostly wall-like and prefabricated kits, which are offered by manufacturers who also have nesting boxes and birdhouses on offer. Large and individually designed insect hotels are built by gardening and landscaping companies . There are insect hotels leaning against trees or existing building walls, or built-in, as well as free-standing insect hotels. The term “ insect hotel” was colloquially based on the house-like appearance of modern facilities, which stand out due to the free-standing multi-storey construction and - to protect against the effects of the weather - pronounced roof structures.
Motivation and Benefit
Intensive human intervention in the natural landscape - including extensive use of pesticides in arable farming and horticulture, as well as the tendency towards "tidy" landscapes in private gardens - means that only a few natural insect habitats are left, such as open, dry clay slopes or dead wood . These processes are known as habitat destruction .
Not only in the great outdoors, in gardens many help beneficial insects such as bees , wild bees , slip , wrinkle , digging and wasps , lacewings or earwigs through pollination and as a free biological "pest controllers" , the ecological balance to maintain. In addition, insect hotels are also set up for teaching purposes, for example for the general public at garden shows and in parks or by schools that want to bring children closer to the biology of insects and practical nature conservation. Insect hotels make an important contribution to environmental education, because it is easier to observe wild bees when building their nests than to find bees' nests in nature.
Species protection
Insect hotels do not help to protect Red List species and therefore cannot be understood as direct species protection . They are mainly from frequent Kulturfolger bees (eg Red Mason Bee (Osmia bicornis) populated). Rarely occurring bee species mostly live in dependence on special plant species, sometimes also in connection with special habitat structures, such as steep walls. In order to encourage the occurrence of rare bee species, it is important to avoid pesticides and to convert existing monotonous lawns into wildflower meadows by mowing the areas only once or twice a year. Footpaths that lead through the meadows are desirable because most species of bees nest in the ground. In addition, you can upgrade these areas with dead wood and stone piles.
Materials and construction
Hotels insects consist almost entirely of natural materials, from hardwood logs (no tree grates), wood wool , straw , reeds , bamboo sticks , twigs , peat and clay . In addition, perforated only be porous bricks , terracotta - flower pots and sometimes plastic pipes for filling, metals for fixtures and possibly as a prestressed wire mesh to protect from birds (3-4 cm above standing), roofing felt or similar covers, and weather-resistant glaze when used timber or colorful design of some wooden parts more often used. It is important that the filling materials are dry and that all wood is free from chemical wood preservatives.
The basic construction of the most widespread kits for free-standing insect hotels consists of long squared timbers , from which the framework, which resembles a rectangular display case, is formed, and of crossbars that divide the central area into compartments . The stands are firmly anchored in the ground and a sloping roof is placed on top of the construction. The compartments are filled with different, void-rich materials. Larger cavities, for example in or between bricks, are filled with bamboo canes, reeds or the like, smaller openings, for example drill holes in dried hardwood blocks , across the grain (different diameters between 2 and 10 mm) are left open. These holes serve as brood tubes. Their entry openings must be carefully carved out so that the insects can accept them. Furthermore, it is common not to drill brood tubes all the way through a piece of wood, but to leave a solid back. Some species only accept tubes in already seasoned, "grayed" wood. Special niches for certain groups of insects require increased attention, so lacewing boxes are painted red, this attracts the animals. If there are gaps between the different filling materials, these are best filled with hay, bundled sticks, small stones or clay. This means that no space in the compartment remains unused, and the draft cooling of individual elements in winter is greatly reduced.
One provider also offers standardized, modular nesting aids for the red and horned mason bees for use in fruit growing.
When building wild bee nesting aids, according to wild bee expert Paul Westrich , it should be noted that not all built objects with holes in them are actually suitable as nesting aids; this even applies to complex constructions in nature conservation facilities and protected areas. Nesting aids made of softwood and with uncleanly drilled holes are particularly unsuitable, as the bees' wings are destroyed by sharp splinters of wood. Holes drilled in fresh wooden discs can also destroy the offspring if drying cracks form and thus open the closed breeding chambers.
Unsuitable nesting aids
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
G)
H)
- a) Perforated stones are not settled, they can at most provide a hold in the compartments of clay or straws.
- b) Nesting aid cannot be used because the diameter of the tubes is too large and there is no closure. Neither pine cones, wood shavings nor building blocks are accepted by insects as hiding places.
- c) Softwood and laminated wood that dissolves when damp, the holes are not worked properly and the splinters destroy the wings of the insects.
- d) The nesting aid is unusable, the diameter of the tubes is too large and neither pine cones, wood chips nor building blocks are accepted by insects as hiding places.
- e) Nesting aid unsuitable as the holes on the front side tear open so that moisture and fungi can penetrate from the outside. The larvae die from the fungus before they hatch.
- f) Hotel offered in the hardware store, top shelf frayed reed, second shelf drill holes in softwood, also drilled improperly. Lacewing compartment too small, bottom compartment reeds inserted crosswise, no settlement possible.
- g) Cross-built reeds cannot be colonized, as there is no space to get into the stalks.
- h) unusable butterfly hibernation chamber and nesting tubes over 10 mm
The lacewing box
In the 1980s, Professor Çetin Şengonca from the University of Bonn researched lace flies , especially the Chrysoperla species. The lacewing, or rather their larvae, are considered to be biological helpers in agriculture, as they devour between 200 and 500 aphids and other soft-skinned insects during the two-week larval period. As sexually mature flies, they winter in garages, barns, sheds or other accessible buildings.
As part of this research, there were experiments on the winter behavior of lacewings. It turned out that red or brown lacewing huts were the most commonly adopted. It was shown in the field test that offered wintering quarters with a side length of 30 cm were accepted. Various experts doubt that small nesting areas for lacewings make any sense at all. The degree of effectiveness of the nesting aids offered in the trade can certainly be assessed as being low. They differ massively from the wintering aids for lacewings offered for fruit or hops growing as well as for special crops, as they were developed by Sengonca in his studies. While the commercial boxes only have a few opening slots, the professional boxes consist of slats on the side and the bottom. They are filled with wood wool, painted red all around and have a size of at least 30 cm × 30 cm × 30 cm.
Due to the wide gaps between the slats, the lacewing, which is not a particularly good flyer, can fly unhindered into the interior filled with wheat straw or wood wool. Since the flight characteristics of the fly are very limited, the lacewing box should always be set up in the opposite direction to the prevailing wind direction. The northeast orientation should therefore be selected at most locations.
With over 2400 square kilometers, the Hallertau is the largest contiguous hop-growing area in the world. This very large monoculture, in which almost a third of the world's hop production grows, is particularly susceptible to pests such as hop aphids , spider mites and other predators. In the study, 85 species of insects were identified as natural pest fighters, including 25 species of netwings (Neuroptera), divided into 10 species of daytime (Hemerobiidae or brown lacewing) and 15 species of lacewing (Chrysopidae). If insecticides are not used, these insects can build up a large population. Without artificial nesting aid for the fully developed lacewings in the hop monoculture, there is no or hardly any natural overwintering possibility after the harvest of the more than 7 m high hop plants and thus the mortality rate of the insect populations is high. In the practical part of the study, 39 nest boxes were set up and counted between 238 and 336 lacewings. Further controls showed a mortality rate of only 0.9%.
There is no monoculture in the garden, so attention should be paid to a good supply of food, and only then to the possibility of wintering. It should be noted that the number of lacewings only increases with a large number of aphids, albeit at different times. Because only when the lacewing female , whose diet is pollen and nectar (with the exception of the genus Chrysopa , which also eats aphids), places their larvae in plants that are already infested with lice, the natural pest control starts. According to Florian Weihrauch, all of the nesting boxes sold in the trade are not recommended in terms of lacewing nesting options, as no lacewing will get lost in these small compartments. He sees these boxes as "a financial exploitation of good-natured conservationists, because they can actually be assigned to a meaningful nature conservation."
Ladybug box
Many species of ladybirds overwinter on the surface of the ground, under leaves, coniferous litter, moss and grass pads. The species that form aggregation very often collect in the cavities between and under stones. Warm locations are preferred. Other ladybugs overwinter under the bark of living and dead trees, as well as in tree stumps. Some species visit houses and collect in floor spaces and window crevices.
In the opinion of the entomologist Bernhard Klausnitzer, wintering quarters for ladybirds are not a species-limiting factor for ladybugs, nor are any “hiding places”. The claim that such boxes or any compartments in “insect hotels” filled with pinecones, bark scales, logs, or similar organic garbage have the slightest attraction or practical use for insects is a pure marketing gimmick.
As adequate hiding places, insects need interconnected, richly structured hiding spots in the form of hedges, borders, dry stone walls, brushwood piles, piles of wood and the like. Complex humidity and temperature gradients are established here, in which the insect can then select the optimal framework conditions.
Butterfly box
Insect hotels offered in the trade often have a compartment as a butterfly hibernation area or are offered as a separate butterfly box. They are closed little boxes with a vertical oval hole or slot in the middle. These possibilities are not accepted by butterflies, as only six of the 180 butterfly species (small fox, peacock butterfly, lemon butterfly, C butterfly, mourning mantle and the big fox) hibernate as butterflies. In caves, hollow trees, barns, garages, storerooms, shelters and overhangs, they will find enough protected places to overwinter.
According to many specialist biologists, the drastic decline in butterflies is not due to the lack of winter opportunities for the butterflies or caterpillars, but rather to the lack of forage plants and habitats, especially for caterpillars and later butterflies.
Bumblebee nest box
This type of insect hotel for bumblebees comes in many variations. They are made of wood-concrete , cardboard or wood . Since bumblebees like to accept burrows from small mammals , efforts are made to imitate them. However, it is up to the bumblebee species whether they prefer aboveground or underground nesting aids. For example, the bumblebee species like to accept mouse holes. However, all types want some cushion like kapok . Against parasites such as the wax moth , a flap can be attached to the entrance hole that is light enough that bumblebees can open it.
Choice of location
The ideal location for an insect hotel is in full sun and protected from the weather. This ensures on the one hand that the heat required for the brood is available, and on the other hand there is sufficient protection from wind and precipitation so that the insects can take over the artificial roost. A side effect is that the built-in natural materials last as long as possible. Furthermore, as many herbs , flowering wild plants and native shrubs and trees as possible should be found in relative proximity in order to meet the insects' nutritional needs. The approach path for the animals should be on the side facing away from the weather and be clearly visible to the animals. For some species it is also ideal if there is enough clay, sand and water either in one of the compartments or on the ground nearby.
Location of nesting possibilities for food plants
Wild bees cover various flight distances between the nesting site and the food plants. In studies, flight distances between 150 m and 2000 m were found. Large wild bee species travel greater distances than smaller species. Most of the wild bee species fly a maximum of 300 m to 1500 m.
A large distance means more energy and longer time is required to care for the nest, which at the same time reduces the number of brood cells. The prolonged absence of the bee from the breeding ground also allows parasites to place more eggs of their own, which can severely decimate the population. The higher energetic expenditure is compensated for by the lower amount of pollen in the individual brood cells, which has an effect on the survival rate of the larvae. If the nesting facility and food plants are 150 m away, the number of brood cells drops to 75% and 70% of them were parasitized.
Ideally, there should be no more than 200 to 300 m between nesting aids and food plants. A continuous and species-rich selection of flowering plants during the entire vegetation period is important for the provision of food plants.
Empty snail shells as a nesting opportunity
Some species of mason bees (e.g. Osmia andrenoides , Osmia aurulenta and Osmia bicolor ) use empty snail shells - but only under special conditions. It therefore makes no sense to collect empty snail shells and put them in a compartment in the existing nesting box.
The empty snail shells must lie freely movable on the ground because the wild bee turns the snail shell into the position that is suitable for them. The subsurface also has to fit. Some species prefer sandy or moist humus, others hide snail shells in grass, scrub or hedges.
Osmia bicolor, for example, used empty houses of snails or Roman snails, which are best distributed under hollow stones in a rock garden - but only in regions rich in limestone, where Osmia bicolor occurs naturally.
Hardwood as a nesting option
The following hardwoods are suitable for use as nesting blocks:
- Plum (750)
- Apple (730)
- Hornbeam (720)
- Pear (680)
- Oak (660)
- Chestnut (650)
- Ash (640)
- Birch (640)
- Hazel (610)
- Maple (600)
Ash ( kiln density 640) is particularly suitable because of its low level of cracking.
- The important thing is the kiln density of over 550 kg / m³ or 0.55 g / cm³ with a humidity of 0%.
- The wood should be stored for at least two years and carefully dried.
- Old roof beams can also be refurbished.
- Minimum dimensions of the depth of 10 cm for the drilling depth should be observed, the width and length are arbitrary.
- The wooden blocks must be untreated.
Roof overhang
It is also important to ensure that the block of wood is protected from the effects of the weather, so that no rain or splash water can wet and soften the boreholes and thus the nesting closures. This will prevent fungal growth.
All soft and coniferous woods are not suitable, as the formation of resin or splinters endangers the insects.
Condition of the nesting passages
Hole diameter
Solitary wild bees and wasps have different body sizes and thus different needs for the diameter of the nesting facilities. They prefer holes that they can just slip into. The reason for this is the minimization of material consumption in the construction of the individual brood cells.
Diameter of the individual wild bees and wasp species
- 2-4 mm mask bees and solitary wasps
- 3–5 mm holey bees
- 5–7 mm mason bee
- 5–7 mm leaf cutter bees
- 6–9 mm Horned mason bee
Number of diameters
- 3–6 mm 75%
- 6–9 mm 25%
These are guide values, as bees and wasps also use larger diameters if smaller nesting opportunities are not available. The diameters of 3 to 6 mm should dominate because there is always a bottleneck in this area. Hole diameters of 10 mm or larger are hardly or not at all accepted by wild bees. They only serve as a nocturnal resting place for other insects.
Hole length
For purely practical reasons, the tunnel depth depends on the tools available when building artificial nesting facilities. It is important that the holes are not drilled and should be in the range of 8 to 10 cm. These lengths have established themselves in the high-quality nesting options made of wood, clay or cardboard tubes.
If the hardwood block has a larger dimension, the other side surfaces can also be machined if the holes do not intersect.
If nest boards are milled, these tunnels can have a length of up to 20-25 cm, the optimal length is 15 cm. Professional nesting boards with a side size of 16 × 16 cm and a height of approx. 18 mm are therefore widespread on the market.
Wild bees use even the smallest holes to give their offspring a nesting opportunity. In some wild bee species, such as the mason bee or the leafcutter bee, the sex ratio changes in favor of the females, the deeper the passage is.
Hollow plant stems as a nesting option
Wild bees look for a wide variety of plant stems in nature, and plant stems can be used when building an insect hotel. It is also important that a diameter of 2 to 9 mm is chosen, that the stems have a termination and a length of approx. 7 cm to 20 cm.
Bamboo is one of the most straightforward options because the stems are very hard and do not tend to splinter when sawed. The knot automatically forms a closure so that the tubes only have to be shortened to the desired length. Predators such as birds or other insects that want to lay their larvae as parasites in the brood chambers have little chance due to the hardness of the stems.
Reeds / mats, straw (rye straw is particularly suitable), Japanese knotweed or other plant stems are much softer and therefore require more care. Crushed or frayed stalks are not colonized and endanger the insects. Fine band or scroll saws as well as very sharp secateurs can lead to success.
Weather protection is important, be it a wooden frame or a tin can, the possibilities are diverse, it is important that the straws are fixed with plaster, filler or wax and secured against predators with bird wire.
Marrow-containing plant stems as a nesting aid
Some wild bee species do not use existing cavities, abandoned beetle feeding tunnels, bent reed stalks with hollow chambers or old nesting tubes of other wild bees, but rather gnaw their breeding tunnels anew. They colonize stems that are vertical or inclined and where the plant pulp is exposed. This mostly white pulp consists of dead cells filled with air and is easy for the bees to work with, because apart from the three-tooth mason bee ( Hoplitis tridentata ), the bees are not able to gnaw holes in harder materials. Since there is no accumulation of vertical broken stems in nature, bundled stems are not accepted, only single stems. Any medullary plant stalk can be used. It is easy to leave dried plant stems of the medullary species like a faded mullein and prune them at a height of 50 cm to approx. 2 m to expose the pith. Mugwort, thistles, dog roses, raspberries or blackberries, elderberries, burdock or sunflowers can be a nesting aid. In contrast to elderberries, blackberries colonize particularly quickly.
If marrow-containing plant stems are to be used as artificial nesting aids, the use of blackberry stalks is worthwhile. They are 50 cm to one meter long and hung individually and are populated from both sides. Fences, strips or spans or leashes can serve as a holder. Stems stuck directly in the soil rot and can destroy the brood.
Cardboard tubes as a nesting option
Nesting aid for insects is provided by cardboard tubes made of waste paper. These cardboard tubes have been specially developed for this purpose. There are different variations on the market, untreated or impregnated with paraffin in diameters of 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 mm and lengths between 7 and 15 cm. It is important for the tubes to be open on both sides that they are closed. With a smooth surface or fixation with clay, plaster or wax. Birds may attempt to pull these tubes out of the nesting area, so a lock is in place. As a rule, the tubes are very well received in a short time, so that they are completely filled in the first, at the latest in the second season. If this is not the case, there are disruptive factors such as the choice of location, a lack of closure or sufficient other nesting options.
Interlocking tile
Another way to create nesting places is with extruded interlocking tiles. These roof tiles made of fired clay have a flat or curved shape along their length and tubular hollow chambers that open outwards into a round hole at both ends. The diameter of these ten corridors is approx. 6 to 8 mm and is therefore particularly suitable for the rust-red mason bee and the horned mason bee. The adder's head mason bee and various leaf cutter bees also use this nesting option.
Since the roof tiles are open on both sides, the opposite side should be sealed with plaster of paris, wax or mortar. Since the bricks are very long at approx. 40 cm, the mason bees do not assume this length in their full length - it is assumed that they do not have enough brightness at approx. 25–30 cm and therefore build a wall there - they should Brick halved with a power cutter and the holes deburred.
Insect nesting aid made of fired clay
In 1998 the biologist Volker Fockenberg developed his first insect nesting aid made of fired clay and named it Hotel zur Wilden Biene . This nesting aid had 180 nesting tunnels with a diameter of 2–11 mm. From this first product, the beehive developed with over 331 nesting passages. If one assumes four brood cells per nesting passage and a full occupancy, then over 1300 insects would have the opportunity to develop in a very small space.
The production of these stones is based on a model that is over 300 years old in a brick drying barn, as the careful and slow drying prevents drying cracks. The elaborate production and a firing temperature of 996 ° C result in an open-pored and breathable clay, which prevents fungal growth in the brood chambers. The fired clay does not weather and is an insurmountable obstacle even for the woodpecker, which is a danger to many insect hotels.
Over the past few years, some artists have adopted the idea and offer a collection of differently designed clay figures and clay objects.
Deadwood as a nesting aid
Only a few wild bees gnaw their nesting tunnels themselves; they include the blue-black wooden bees, forest fur bees, the black-bellied leaf-cutters, the garden-leaf-cutters and the solitary wasps of the genus Symmophus . They prefer slightly rotten but still relatively solid wood, almost all deciduous wood from deciduous trees. In white rot, fungi break down the three components of wood. These three components cellulose, lignin and hemicellulose only decompose in the deciduous trees in the order that white cellulose predominates in the end, hence the name white rot. Conifers with the brown rot are not suitable because the wood is more brittle and falls apart quickly.
Deadwood is not only a great asset for wild bees, it is an invaluable habitat for many insects, so aim should be to leave dead or dying trees that do not pose a threat to the environment or to leave a longer piece of the trunk standing. Artificial nesting aids for dead wood dwellers should consist of the hardwood species ash, oak, maple, poplar and willow as well as all types of fruit trees. In contrast to other nesting aids, in which the tunnels should be approx. 10 to 15 cm long, the tunnels in dead wood can be over 30 cm long. Long trunks, thick branches, beams or even wooden blocks are suitable; no matter whether loosely piled up, as a bed or path border or raised bed border. It is important that the wood is protected from the direct influence of water. The trunks should be protected from rapid rot on moist solid ground by stones, gravel, pavement slabs. A small roof made of a wide variety of materials also clearly protects against faster deterioration.
Maintenance of the insect hotels
Offered nesting opportunities lose their attractiveness over time, because, depending on the type of insect, used tubes are no longer accepted or the brood in the tubes has perished, which can account for up to 20% of the occupancy per year. It is true that the insects fight their way through occupied nesting chambers, but with one exception, no closed nesting chambers are opened in the rear part to repopulate them.
The mason bee's development is already complete at the end of August, they wait in tarsi for the next spring and are not permanently disturbed by movements of the nesting facility and even touching and cleaning the cocoons. This makes it possible to clean nesting boards in order to remove the dead larvae, to clean the passage and to be able to offer clean passages again for the next period. In the case of nesting options made of cardboard tubes, bamboo, hardwood or clay, there is the option of marking closed corridors with non-toxic paint in autumn. If this masking is still present next fall, there will be no more life in this strand. Cleaning with a small drill followed by a bottle brush or pipe cleaner offers the opportunity to make existing nesting opportunities more attractive. This possibility is only available if the nesting aid is protected against birds. Birds, and not just woodpeckers, try to get inside the corridors and destroy the first seal. This does not guarantee that an opened tube is unoccupied; there can be both living and dead brood behind it. Therefore, another safe method of maintaining nesting aids is not to offer them for another breeding season. For example, they should be close to the remaining nesting opportunities; only a small part should be withdrawn at a time so as not to endanger the population, put in a darker environment with an exit to escape, or cover them up to make them unattractive. No resident of a nesting aid stays there longer than one season. Reed and knotweed are too fine to be cleaned mechanically.
General assignment of the tubes
In general, the aisles are always occupied in the same way. The females are the deepest in the corridor, followed by the males, with an empty chamber of different sizes at the end to keep predators away. This can be birds but also insects with long spines for parasitic oviposition.
Nesting boards
In many countries, wild bees are specifically used to pollinate orchards. In Japan over 75% of the acreage is pollinated by mason bees. Due to the Varroa mite and the lack of beekeepers, the rust-red mason bee is increasingly being used as a pollinator in Europe. Here, nesting passages with 8 mm are milled in fibreboard and pressed together to form a block using a tension belt. In autumn these blocks are separated again and the cocoons are removed from the nesting passages, cleaned and stored in a cool place. The boards are also cleaned of mites and nest residues. Shortly before the fruit blossom, the cocoons and nesting blocks are placed back in the plantations in shelters. It has been shown that the rust-red mason bee prefers the nesting options that are turned away from the light.
Observation nest boxes
There are observation nest boxes on the market for observation, since development from the introduction of pollen to egg laying, development of the larva to pupation and hatching takes place in a dark, closed chamber.
Experiments by the biologist Fritz Brechtel in 1986 showed that only breathable observation nesting sites should be used, since the lack of air exchange with plastic tubes can lead to the formation of mold and a considerable mortality rate. This was around 14% for the adder's head mason bee, but over 93% for the common mask bee. Even if a slight gas exchange takes place in the common mason bee through the clay seal, this should be avoided.
Nesting boards that are provided with a plastic film or acrylic sheet and a movable cover plate on only one side have also proven successful. The hardwood or the MDF panels enable gas exchange on the remaining three sides and development is not disturbed.
literature
- Werner David: Ready to move in: Nesting aids for wild bees Guidelines for construction and practice - this is how it works . Pala, Darmstadt 2017, ISBN 978-3-89566-358-1 .
- Monika Biermaier: Beneficial quarters for natural gardens . Cadmos, Schwarzenbek 2012, ISBN 978-3-8404-8105-5 .
- Wolf Richard Günzel: The Insect Hotel. Experience nature conservation. - Building instructions, animal portraits, gardening tips. Extended new edition. Pala, Darmstadt 2012, ISBN 978-3-89566-300-0 .
- Wolf Richard Günzel: The Wild Bee Hotel. Conservation in the garden. Pala, Darmstadt 2008, ISBN 978-3-89566-244-7 .
- Martin Hallmen: Observe and get to know wild bees . Elaboration for practical lessons in biology - with templates. Klett, Stuttgart 1997, ISBN 3-12-043140-0 .
- J. Scott MacIvor, Laurence Packer, Fabio S. Nascimento: 'Bee Hotels' as Tools for Native Pollinator Conservation: A Premature Verdict? In: PLOS ONE . 10, 2015, p. E0122126, doi: 10.1371 / journal.pone.0122126 .
- Paul Westrich: Wild bees The other bees. Publishing house Dr. Friedrich Pfeil, Munich 2015, ISBN 978-3-89937-136-9 .
- together with Hertha Klausnitzer: Ladybirds. Coccinellidae. Die Neue Brehm-Bücherei (Volume 451), Wittenberg Lutherstadt 1972 (4th, revised edition Magdeburg 1997, ISBN 3-89432-812-6 ).
Web links
- Protection options for wild bees
- Instructions for building an insect hotel
- wildBee.ch: Tips on building nesting aids, avoid common mistakes, information films
- Rhineland-Palatinate Garden Academy, search for "Insect Hotel"
- Find out more about wild bee hotels
- Suitable materials for the insect hotel ( Memento from August 9, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
Individual evidence
- ^ Beneficial hotel at Umweltberatung.at, accessed on December 22, 2014.
- ↑ Anja Grabs: Insect hotels are not species protection. In: blogspot.de. October 13, 2012, archived from the original on June 2, 2013 ; Retrieved on May 18, 2014 (consideration of nesting aids in relation to species protection and explanation of an offer of help for recreational researchers to identify wild bees).
- ↑ Use of mason bees to pollinate fruit crops
- ↑ The fascination of wild bees: Unsuitable nesting aids , accessed on March 31, 2016.
- ↑ Manfred Radtke: Endangered wild bees. Build nesting aids and create habitats. 2nd edition 2015. Published by BUND, Rotenburg district group ( PDF ).
- ↑ Assembly instructions lacewing box
- ↑ Summary lacewing box
- ↑ PDF files wild bees. Accessed April 12, 2018 (German).
- ↑ Ladybug. Coccinellidae. Together with Hertha Klausnitzer Bernhard Klausnitzer Die Neue Brehm-Bücherei (Volume 451), Wittenberg Lutherstadt 1972 (4th, revised edition Magdeburg 1997, ISBN 3-89432-812-6 ).
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p David, Werner, 1959-: Ready to move in: Nesting aids for wild bees Guidelines for construction and practice - this is how it works . pala Verlag, Darmstadt 2016, ISBN 978-3-89566-358-1 .
- ↑ Eberhard von Hagen: Hummeln . 2nd Edition.
- ↑ Insect hotel location | Where should the insect hotel be set up? In: Schitzelking - Because handicrafts DIY and screwing is passion. January 30, 2020, accessed on February 4, 2020 (German).
- ↑ Filling the hotel with wood on self-made shelter for beneficial insects, accessed on 23 December 2017.
- ↑ Here extruded tiles are shown from the front as an insect nesting place.
- ↑ Garden and ceramics. Retrieved September 29, 2017 (German).
- ↑ Welcome to Wildbiene.com. Retrieved September 29, 2017 .
- ↑ Cleaning of nesting aids for wild bees? Retrieved on May 24, 2018 (German).
